Reordering and scaling: from five hundred pieces to ten thousand

The first order tests the product; the second tests the system. Many brands succeed on the first and then hit the second, because what arrives is slightly different: a shade lighter, a fabric slightly lighter, a fit a centimetre wider. A customer who has bought twice notices immediately, and trust is lost faster than it is built.

The product file: what to keep

After every successful order, build a file containing:

• A signed, dated production sample, stored in the dark because light shifts colour over time.
• The approved fabric swatch with the fabric reference and the dye lot number.
• The complete measurement chart in centimetres for every size.
• The print placement diagram in centimetres, and the Pantone references.
• The embroidery digitising file, or the screen references held at the factory.
• The label and packaging specification with dimensions and materials.
• The laboratory reports and the inspection report.

This file is a genuine asset of your brand. Without it you renegotiate every detail on every order, and with a new factory you start from nothing.

Lot variation: the first problem in reordering

Fabric is dyed in lots, and a new lot can differ slightly from the previous one however identical the recipe. Three steps reduce the impact: send the approved swatch from the first order with the production request so the factory matches against it; ask for a new lab dip compared against the old swatch rather than against the Pantone alone; and if the difference is critical for your product, buy fabric for two orders at once and store it, because storage costs less than a colour mismatch.

When should you scale the quantity?

Do not scale because the price falls; scale because the data supports it. Three indicators: the model sells at a steady rather than seasonal rate; you know your real size distribution from sales rather than instinct; and the return rate is low and stable. Doubling the quantity before these indicators turns one successful order into dead stock.

What changes at larger quantities?

• The unit price falls, but the fall decelerates: the jump from 300 to 1,000 is large; from 5,000 to 10,000 relatively small.
• Freight shifts from consolidated cargo to a full container beyond roughly fifteen cubic metres, a shift that clearly reduces the cost per cubic metre.
• The right factory may change. The factory that served you at 300 pieces may not absorb 10,000, and vice versa.
• During-production inspection becomes worthwhile, not only final inspection, because discovering an error late across ten thousand pieces is a disaster.

Scaling variety rather than quantity

An option that is often smarter: instead of doubling the quantity of one model, add a second colour or a close model sharing the same fabric. Sharing fabric means one dye lot and a shared minimum, so you get variety on the shelf without doubling the capital locked into one colour.

Should you change factory?

Changing factory returns you to the full sampling cycle and exposes you to differences in fit and fabric. Do not change for a small price difference. Change if delivery repeatedly slips, if quality deteriorates despite warnings, or if your quantity outgrows their capacity. If you do change, hand the new factory the complete product file and ask for a sample compared against your kept sample rather than against the written specification alone.

Frequently asked questions

Do I pay setup again? You should not. Screens and the embroidery file are retained. Ask for written confirmation of that on the first order.

How long does a reorder take? Two to three weeks shorter than the first, because sampling is compressed, but fabric and dyeing take the same time.

Should I hold safety stock? Yes on the fast-moving middle sizes, because a stockout there halts sales while the extremes remain available.

We keep a complete specification file for every client and match each new order against the retained sample rather than the written description alone.